The Chattanooga City Council declined to put a suggested police budget reform onto the agenda during Tuesday’s strategic planning meeting. Maura Sullivan, city CEO, started by detailing the process by which the budget is created, and then various council members gave their opinions on the budget. Various parties have asked for a portion of the $70 million budget to be divested into other areas. Specific proposals were submitted by local Democratic Socialists, and these were turned aside by the council.
“That is a contractual agreement we made to the men and women of the CPD to provide them with $70 million to do their jobs,” said Chairman Chip Henderson. “I think that at this point to take away any amount demonstrates a lack of understanding of our role as legislators.”
However, the Council did express a desire to maintain flexibility in regard to the budget, with Councilman Anthony Byrd bringing up how destructive COVID-19 has been to Chattanooga.
“We had a nuclear bomb in the form of COVID-19 hit our city,” said Councilman Byrd. “The process is the process and we have to do things in an orderly fashion, and we did put out information and people were able to come and talk about these things and what they wanted to see in the budget.
“When I look at what we’re dealing with now and I look at our budget, it does make me question whether we want to go back and talk about these things, or at least have a discussion. When I talk to people about the police force and we talk about the lie detector test or the polygraph test or certain things, maybe we should take a look at (these things), not just years to come, but for this year to stockpile food for constituents that would need it.”
Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod expressed frustration with the proposed amendments. She emphasized how the public had multiple opportunities to influence the budget in public meetings, meetings she said had tepid engagement.
“We have these budget sessions around the same time and we’re begging people to take part in it,” said Councilwoman Coonrod. “Even if you can’t make it physically, then share your thoughts online and you can email. For months we’ve asked that. But it falls on deaf ears until it’s time for the council to vote on the budget.”
“I think we have to have our marketing to the point where people want to sleep outside to make sure their input is added in the budget on the front end. A lot of people are still suffering, so (maybe we should be) looking at things we can change that wouldn’t affect our police budget.”
Councilman Russell Gilbert asked City Attorney Phil Noblett about the legality of the Council moving funds around.
“Things can be moved around if you have money in your budget that comes in,” said Attorney Noblett. “That’s one of the problems we are having in a COVID environment, which is trying to figure out what that will be. You have to have money in your funds to do that every year, and it has to be balanced every year. Otherwise the state will have a problem with you.”
In the end, the council voted to keep those amendments off the agenda.